Despite the Chicago Bears’ success this season, head coach Ben Johnson hasn’t had to make changes to his coaching staff, which is a good sign heading into 2026.
The Bears are on the rise and could put themselves firmly in Super Bowl contender status with a strong offseason. That said, Johnson has one departure from his staff to fill in the coming weeks: the running backs coach position.
Johnson saw Eric Bieniemy suddenly depart the Windy City to return to the Kansas City Chiefs as their offensive coordinator after the Bears’ heartbreaking divisional round loss.
That being said, we haven’t heard much on Chicago’s front about who will replace Bieniemy, which won’t be an easy task. However, Johnson could turn to a former Bears coach to pick up where Bieniemy left off.
On Tuesday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune suggested Eric Studesville as a potential option as the RBs coach. Studesville worked for the Bears in the late 90s (1997-2000), and previously spent some time with Ben Johnson during his tenure in Miami.
Eric Studesville Could Be Ideal Replacement for Eric Bieniemy on Ben Johnson’s Staff
The 58-year-old Studesville has spent the last eight seasons with the Dolphins. To start his tenure in Miami, Studesville was hired as the running backs coach, and for one year, he was the run game coordinator. Over the past four seasons, Studesville has served as the associate head coach/running backs coach. Before that, he served as Miami's offensive coordinator for one season (2021).
With the Dolphins hiring Jeff Hafley as the new head coach, it’s unclear if Hafley will keep the ex-Bears coach on his staff. If that doesn’t happen, Johnson shouldn’t waste time trying to contact Studesville.
Studesville has most recently had the opportunity to work with one of the explosive RBs in the NFL, De’Von Achane, helping him to a breakout 2025 season on the ground (1,350 yards and eight TDs on 238 carries).
If Studesville were to come to the Windy City, Studesville would get a chance to work with the dynamic duo of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, who were outstanding on the ground this year and helped Chicago make a playoff run.
Swift ran for a career-high 1,087 yards and nine touchdowns on 223 carries, while Monangai added 783 yards and five touchdowns on 169 carries. That said, neither guy has the speed or explosiveness Achane possesses, but Studesville should be able to build off what Bieniemy has done in one year.
Nonetheless, we’ll see if Studesville becomes available and if Johnson makes a phone call to bring him back to the Windy City for next season.